About six months ago I signed up to go on a month long mission trip to Honduras. God was calling me to go, but at the time I thought that I just wanted to go. I had been to Honduras previously and had a desire to go back every year since then. This was the year that God said yes. His yes was evident to the whole team as the months went on and he provided all the money we needed to go with an overabundance as well. But this was not the only confirmation he gave us. We met regularly to worship, pray and study the Word before the actual trip; and during this time God molded our team together into a unified body and gave us the exact spiritual gifts we needed to minister in Honduras. He cultivated in us perseverance, wisdom, patience, love, compassion, and understanding. Never before had I experienced such a move of the Holy Spirit and we weren't even in Honduras yet.
The day was rapidly approaching; June went by it seemed without even a breath, and July 1st was upon us. That was the day before we left. I had the chance to really think about what was happening. I was leaving my family, friends and home for a month. That may not seem like a long time, but when it is one third of the summer it’s a huge thing. I was still ecstatic to be leaving though, I could hardly wait to board the plane and be on my way to Peña Blanca, Honduras. Even then God was proving his call to us, our travels were almost seamless. In the midst of the airport security, boarding planes and disembarking from them, traveling to and from the airport and finally arriving at our destination, there was a peace that surrounded all of us. God had big plans for the next month of our lives.
As we flew into San Pedro Sula, I was reminded of the last trip I had been on; I saw the banana trees, the typical huts and greenery. Everything seemed so surreal; my mind would not completely wrap around the fact that I was going to Honduras. Then the sudden jolt of landing hit me like the reality that we were finally in Honduras. After months of preparation we were here. At that point my mind was still not fully grasping everything that was happening. I could see in the team’s faces that they were excited for what God had planned and also that they felt His plans were going to be so much grander than they had imagined, and I was sharing those same thoughts. I knew God was going to change my life, but I didn’t understand just how profound it would be. Beginnings are beautiful because a hopeful expectancy surrounds the whole experience and rouses a desire to press on and discover what lies ahead. That is how I felt as the Honduran air met my lungs and I silently reveled in the glory of God’s plan.
This mission trip was very different from the other mission trips I had been on. Usually mission trips involve a lot of outreach and maybe some humanitarian efforts, those are definitely good things, but God gave our leaders a different vision for this trip. We went to be an encouragement to the missionaries living there and to disciple the young men. I was really excited for what God was going to do, but at the same time I was wondering to myself what I would personally be doing on this trip. God revealed to me that no matter what I do as long as I do it for him, his work will be done. This requires humility and submission to leadership, specifically the godly leadership that God ordains. Even though I was not a rebellious person I had to learn how to submit and not put my two cents in whenever I thought they were needed. I really discovered that my input, unless directed by God, was not needed. This change in me even required a change in how I thought, instead of thinking first how a situation could be improved (even if it wasn’t bad) I had to submit those thoughts to God and trust that he was in control because he was and he is now. When we decide to be disciples (disciplined followers) of God we are committing 100% of our lives and our minds to him. As a disciple we submit to whatever God wants to do with us; He may take away what needs to be taken away, and He may add what needs to be added. We become empty vessels before him, therefore we just have to obey, not call the shots. God taught me this lesson in Honduras, and I have by no means been able to apply it as well as I would like to yet, but by His grace I understand more every day and am able to apply it better.
Take a moment to sit in silence, don’t do anything, don’t fidget, just sit quietly.
What do you hear?
This is a place God had to bring me to, and He used Honduras to do that. I wrote in my journal about halfway through the trip: Be quiet before the Lord and just listen. Don’t sort it out in your brain, “don’t worry about it”, in the words of a Honduran. Learn from God; don’t try to squeeze information out without listening. This was one of my shortest journal entries, but also one of the most memorable and comforting entries. Ironically, Honduras is a noisy place; there are loud people outside, loud vehicles and loud animals almost nonstop. I had to learn how to not be distracted by the noise and listen for God’s still small voice. A beautiful thing though, is that God did not create us to be solitary, he created us to be around other people, especially people who love him as well. God helped me to learn how to be still before him by giving me two awesome friends to encourage and exhort me. Almost every night Kat, Maria and I would talk for quite a while about spiritual things and sometimes silly things, and sometimes even both; but, God used those times and their words to speak to me about His will, then as I prayed about it and read Scripture, he confirmed it or led me in whatever direction I needed to go.
The States are noisy as well, but with different things than Honduras. We have distractions in almost every area of life. The TV is almost always on, the radio is on in the car or at home, constant advertising bombards us, conversations with the people around us are a given, and various other distractions invade our lives. These things aren’t inherently bad, but when we listen to them more than we listen to God, they become hindrances to our relationship with Him. My Honduras experience isn’t over yet, because I’m still learning how to deal with distractions, and it’s definitely not easy, but God continues to cultivate in me a heart that desires to have that quiet time with him, to just sit at his feet and listen. My flesh and spirit battle constantly over this time, but as I give more of it to God my spirit desires it more than my flesh can withstand. Giving time to God in order to listen and commune with him is an everyday choice that, I’m learning, is difficult to make; but with the Holy Spirit in me empowering me to draw closer to God that choice doesn’t have to remain hard. On my first Honduras trip the main lesson I learned was Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”, now, having completed my second trip, I am reminded of this lesson and I am gaining new understanding of how to apply it.
God changed my life. He used Honduras to teach me how to submit to leadership, and how to control my thoughts and tongue. He also taught me to be still before him and really listen to his voice through being diligent in reading his word, praying and being accountable to other believers. These are only a few of the many lessons that I gleaned from this experience and are definitely not the end of lessons I will learn in the future. I praise God for his grace, and for his hand guiding my life. He truly is the Author and Finisher of my faith as well as yours. I would like to encourage whoever reads this that you don’t have to go on a mission trip or have some crazy experience to decide to be a true disciple of God and see your life changed. All you have to do is humbly submit yourself to God and obey Him in your everyday life. He desires to use those who are willing to do his will whether or not they feel equipped. He will equip you for his plan, which is grander than any of our plans.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
According to God’s word we have everything we need for a godly life. Let’s use what God has given us and seek his will above our own.
